Grain separator



May 18, 1937. c c. INGRAHAM El AL 2,080,890

GRAIN SEPARATOR Filed Oct. 11,1935 2 Shee tsSheet 1 May 18, 1937; c. c. INGRAHAM EI'AL GRAIN SEPARATOR 2 SheetS-SheetB Filed Oct. 11} 1935 Mrs/wars (bar/e6 CZ Mraam Jolm J. l arasky 51 7a: 0.4-]

II? ATTORNEYS val- Patented May 18, 1937 GRAIN SEPARATOR Charles C. Ingraham and John J. Varusky, Minneapolis, Minn, assignors to Hart-Carter Company, Peoria, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application October 11, 1935, Serial No. 44,545

9 Claims.

Primarily, this invention relates to grain separators, but more generally to machines employing pocketed discs or plates designed for the separation of materials having different char- 6 acteristics, such as variation in size and/or length. As shown in the drawings, the invention is incorporated in a grain separator of the general character disclosed and claimed in the Carter Patent No. 1,437,042 of November 28, 1922. In grain separating machines such as that disclosed in the said Carter patent, the pocketed discs are of annular form provided with spokes equipped or provided with oblique propelling surfaces for advancing the grain progressively through the eyes or openings of the discs.

In practice, it has been found that in different classes of separation or under varying conditions of the stock, the most efficient separation can be accomplished by properly varying the rate of flow of the grain or material through the eyes or openings of the discs.

It has been proposed to make the oblique propelling blades on the spokes of the discs adjustable for accomplishing this variable feed, but we have found that the result can be more satisfactorily accomplished by the use of retarding blades operative adjacent to or between the discs and made adjustable toward and from the axis of the discs.

A very simple and highly efficient arrangement of these retarding blades is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like partsthroughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical longitudinal section showing a grain separator very much of the type illustrated in the prior Carter machine, but in which the retarding blades are incorporated;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.

1; and

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine, up-

per portion s thereof being broken away.

This machine, as above indicated, is adapted for the separation of various different kinds of grain or In case, it will be hereinafter d aterials, but for the purposes of this escribed as designed for use in the separation of wheat from oats, a material generally known as succotash. As a container for the succotash or commingled grain, there is provided drum-like buttons 1.

a horizontally disposed At one side and near one e place by a latch in the form of one or more turn nd, the

container is provided with an inlet spout 8 for the supply of commingled grain. Extending along one side of the container is a catch trough 9 and a discharge hopper H). The trough 9 in this structure is shown as provided with a cover 5 made up of a plurality of hinged closely positioned but independently movable cover plates 9a. Working in the catch trough 9 is a spiral conveyor II, the shaft of which at one end is provided with a belt-driven pulley l2.

The annular separating discs l3 are provided ith the customary pockets on both faces and are carried from the shaft M by spokes l5 equipped with oblique propelling blades Hi. The shaft [4 is journaled in suitable bearings on the ends of the container andis driven from the shaft of the spiral conveyor ll through any suitable power-transmitting mechanism such as a sprocket machine drive H.

The casing at one side and above the catch trough 9 and discharge hopper l0 is'shown as provided with a normally closed hinge door I8 which, when opened, afiords access to the catch trough and to the cover plates 90, for the adjustment of the latter.

Extended longitudinally through the accumulation trough 5 is a rock shaft l9 mounted in suitable bearings in the ends of the container and provided at one outer end with a gear segment 20 that is engaged by a worm 2| on a shaft 22, which latter is shown as journaled in suitable bearings on one end of the supporting leg structure 23 and is shown as provided with a hand wheel 24 by means of which it may be rotated.

The retarding blades 2'5 are secured to the rock shaft [9 for common adjustments toward and from the disc supporting shaft [4. As shown, the retarding blades 25 are preferably reduced in width attheir lower ends and are provided with hub portions that are rigidly but adjustably secured to the rock shaft l9 by suitable means such as set screws 26.

By manipulation of shaft 22, rock shaft H! can be oscillated so as to move the blades 25 more or less across the openings of the discs so that they will intercept to a greater or less extent the flow of the grain through the eyes 0f the discs.

With the above arrangement, the oblique propelling blades IS on the spokes of the discs will be set to produce a maximum feed, that is, a feed sufliciently rapid for all purposes; and for conditions requiring slower feed or advance of the stock through the machine, the retarding blades 25 will be adjusted accordingly. Of

course, the closer the retarding blades are moved to the shaft M, the slower will be the feed, and conversely, the farther the blades are radially moved outward, the more rapid will be the feed or flow of the stock through the machine.

The general operation of disc-separating machines of the character herein disclosed is quite generally understood by the trade and may be briefly stated as follows:

In the separation of wheat from oats, and under rotation of the discs in the clockwise direction in respect to the drawings, the wheat will be carried over and delivered into the hopper In, (it being understood that normally the cover plates 9a will be in the full line position shown in Fig. 2), while the oats will be rejected by the pockets and dropped back to the bottom of the container and ultimately discharged at one end thereof. If it be found that near the tail end of the machine, a small amount of cats (especially small oats) or the likeis'being carried with the wheat into the hopper Ill, then certain of the cover plates Sat at the tail end of the machine should be turned up as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, so that thesetailings will then be delivered into and caught by the trough 9 and by the conveyor I I will be delivered at the head end of the machine where they may be there commingled with the incoming grain and returned for further separating action of the discs.

In practice, it has been found that in separations where the majority of the stock, such as wheat, is being lifted and carried to the hopper l0, while a minority, such as oats, is being dropped back into the container, the best results can be accomplished by setting the retarding blades progressively nearer to. the shaft l4, toward the delivery end of the machine. Advisably, this progression in the setting of the blades will start not from the first blade toward the receiving end of the machine, but about onethird away toward the delivery end.- On the other hand, it has been found that in separations, for example, of small seeds from wheat or large grain, the best results can be accomplished by having all of the retarding blades set in or approximately in alignment or the same distance from the shaft I 4.

It will be understood that in machines of this type the separating capacity of the discs will be increased within certain limits of practicability,

as the mass of grain at the rising portions of the discs increases in height. The maximum practical height of the mass of grain at the rising portions of the discs may not be that at which maximum separating efliciency of the discs is obtained, as there is very often a difference between maximum possible separating emciency and maximum desired separating efficiency, d pending upon many factors pertaining to the operation. It is sometimes desirable to operate the machine at maximum separating capacity, consistent with obtaining of maximum desired separating efiiciency, and this can readily be accomplished when the present invention is em ployed by merely adjusting the retarding blades until the rate of flow of grain through the discs is such that the mass of grain at the rising portions of the discs is raised or lowered, as the case may be, to the point where maximum desired separating efficiency is obtained, as well as maximum separating capacity, under existing conditions as to class of material being separated and rate of feed of material to the machine. In short, it may be said that the flexibility of such machines, to wit: their ability to operate at desired high capacity and efi'iciency under widely varying conditions of material and rate of feed to the machine is vastly improved when the invention is employed.

It will be understood that in the operation of the machine, a certain amount of the commingled grain will be pocketed in the accumulation trough 5 and that this accumulation may be discharged from the machine by dropping the bottom plate 6, or by any other suitable means, to thereby clean out the machine. In the continued use of separations of this character, it has been found that there will be an accumulation of dust that will greatly interfere with the action of joints or journals such as necessitated by the use of adjustable blades on the spokes of the "discs. However, nothing of this kind will interfere with the operation of the retarding blades when applied to a common rock shaft such as that illustrated.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the retarding device here illustrated is capable of modification-as to details of constructionandarrangement of parts within the scope of the invention herein disclosed and claimed.

What We claim is:

1. The combination with a container for material to be separated, of a plurality of pocketed separating discs working rotatably therein and provided with means for feeding stock progressively past the same, of retarding devices associated with the discs and located in the lower portion of said container for retarding the flow of stock through said container, and means for maintaining separation of particleslifted by the pockets of the discs from particles rejected by said pockets, said retarding devices being spaced from said discs and from the Wall. of said'container.

2. The combination with a container for material to be separated, of a plurality of pocketed separating discs working rotatably therein and provided with means for feeding stock progressively past the same, of retarding devices associated with the discs and located in the lower portion of said container for retarding the flow of stock through said container, and means for maintaining separation of particles lifted by the pockets of the discs from particles rejected by said pockets, said retarding devices being spaced from said discs and the walls of said container and being adjustable to vary the flow-retarding action.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 in which there is a rock shaft located below said discs and in which said retarding devices are in the form of blades, the lower ends of which are secured to said rock shaft for common adjustments of their upper ends toward and from the axis of said discs.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 in which there is a rock shaft located below said discs and in which said retarding devices are in the form of blades, the lower ends of which are secured to said rock shaft for common adjustments of their upper ends toward and from the axis of said discs, said blades being secured to said rock shaft with their upper ends varying in their distance from the axis of said discs.

5. The combination with a container for material to be separated, of a driven shaft extended through said container, a plurality of annular pocketed separating discs having spokes secured to said shaft and provided with fixed obliquely set propelling blades for the feed of stock through the openings of said discs, a rock shaft extended under said discs, and upwardly extended retarding blades secured to said rook shaft and Working between said discs, and means for oscillating said rock shaft to locate the upper ends of said intercepting blades more or less in alignment with the openings of said discs.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 in which said intercepting blades are upwardly extended on the rising side of said discs in respect to the direction of rotation of said discs.

7. The structure defined in claim 5 in which said intercepting blades are upwardly extended on the rising side of said discs in respect to the direction of rotation of said discs, said container having a catch trough located at that side that is opposite to the direction in which said intercepting blades are extended.

8. The combination with a container for material to be separated, of a plurality of pocketed separating discs working rotatably therein and provided with axial openings for the passage of stock therethrough, means for causing the stock to travel through the axial passages of said discs, of retarding devices associated with said discs and located in position to engage and retard the stock at the place where it is passed through the axial passages of said discs.

9. In a separating device, a container for material to be separated, a plurality of rotary pocketed separating discs working within said container and provided with means for feeding stock progressively past the same, of retarding blades adjustable transversely of the travel of stock from the one disc to the other and arranged to retard the travel of the stock along the lower portion of said container.

CHARLES C. INGRAHAM. JOHN J. VARUSKY. 

